Day 8: From noodle soup to man soup

I had a very Japanese evening today. I met up with one of my evening class students, Utsumi, it was nothing weird, he is a grown man with a family. The weird part will be coming up later (Every Tuesday I teach english to a class of about 10 Japanese adults). He wanted to join me on my ramen adventure. Yeah, thats right, you read that, a friend yesterday and a friend today! Check me out, it's raining ramen buddies. Look out popular kids, nothing can stop me now!

Totally is my friend! There is no way I could have taken a picture of a random Japanese man next to me

I enjoyed my ramen and chat. I had my standard chashu-men (Extra meat!) and gyouza. I know, I'm going crazy with my choices. Tomorrow I'll mix it up, maybe throw in some miso ramen, no promises though! It went down ok today, not too much of a struggle. However, I have had a stomach ache for the past 2 days. I'm not saying its the ramen though, it could also be.... "Weekend festivities". yes, lets call them that. It's a much more civilised description. But I am sure the constant imbibing of salty, oily soup is doing nothing other than exacerbate the situation!

Where is the sauce you love so much I hear you ask? This is my Where's Wally?
(Waldo for my North American Friends)

Following on from this, my friend (He really is my friend, it was just meant to be a funny caption) took me to an onsen (温泉), directly translating as "Warm-Spring". Onsens are Japanese public baths, they often use water that is from volcanic springs deep underground. They can be as varied as peoples private bathrooms. Big, small, clean, dirty, cheap, expensive. (Luckily not ever that awful green bathroom stuff that was popular in the 70's)

There are a few differences to baths at home though, but the major one is that at home you don't sit in a tub with 10, over 40-something, Japanese men. (And if you do, I'm not judging!) If it sounds weird, it isn't. Well no, thats not true. Your first few times it is very weird; Where do you look? Whats the tiny towel for? How far should I sit from others, I mean I don't want to be rude but then I don't want to be too friendly. These are all questions that will go through your mind. But this is my 3rd year in Japan so I'm used to getting naked with old Japanese men.

It was exactly like this, except imagine it at night, oh and don't forget the naked Japanese men
(http://www.yawaraginoyu.co.jp/)

So I spent about 2 hours, stewing in the sulphur bath, sweating in the sauna and I don't even know what in the carbonated bath. Yes, thats right, fizzy water. If we are going to get into it, I would say more like beer is fizzy than coke. Oh and lets just take a little segue and answer this question for me. What was it that your parents told you to do with water and electricity? I think you know where this is now going.

And they didn't even come out being able to read mens minds!

Yep, thats right an electric bath that shocks you. Those smiles are not real, they are a result of the women's facial muscles being electrocuted. And with that, I will leave you to stew on that one just like the noodles in my soup did today. (Take that anyway you want)